Frequently Asked Questions
General
I’d like to serve Boxcar at my restaurant, cafe or office. How do I get started?
Please visit the wholesale page on this website and fill out the wholesale request form and someone will get back to you right away.
How do I apply for a position at Boxcar?
We’re so glad that you are interested in working with us! Please send a resume and cover letter to info@boxcarcoffee.com. Include details of why you would like to join the team, any relevant job or life experiences and your availability, and someone will get back to you right away.
Do you serve food at your cafe?
Yes! We have a wide selection of French style pastries baked in house by our talented pastry team, along with breakfast sandwiches. You can find a sample menu on our locations page or in the footer of the website. We share our space with Cured, who serves lunch sandwiches, as well as a selection of cheeses and cured meats.
Do you sell gift cards?
Yes! We sell two types of gift cards; one for our website, and one for our cafe. Unfortunately, they are not interchangable, so selecting the correct one is important. Head on over to our shop page and select gift card. Please read through the description to be sure you are purchasing the best option for your gift.
Can I send a gift with a gift receipt?
Yes! Please mention that this is a gift in the comments section when checking out, and we will be sure to include a gift receipt with your order.
Where is Boxcar Coffee served?
Our coffee is carried by some of the best cafes, restaurants, and breweries in the country. To find out where Boxcar is served near you, please drop us a line at info@boxcarcoffee.com.
How can I contact you?
Our contact information is located at the bottom of this page.
Coffee
Are you Fair Trade?
We get this question a lot and we understand why you would be curious about the standards of our green coffee sourcing. The answer is yes and no. ALL of our coffee are purchased at prices far above Fair Trade levels, often 3-4 times the price set by that program. If you have specific questions about any of the coffees we carry, please reach out to us at info@boxcarcoffee.com
Is your coffee Certified Organic?
We are not a Certified Organic roasting facility, therefore we cannot label our coffee as organic. We do prioritize purchasing organic whenever possible, and it often represents 30-45% of our yearly purchasing; however, the coffee supply chain is complex and does not lend itself to binary responses of yes or no. Some growing regions are not suited to organic farming, due to climate change, and it does not fit within our ethos to abandon them because of this. Additionally, many producers operate organically, but cannot afford the certification. To determine if a particular coffee we carry is organic, you may look in the information section of the coffee you are interested in on our product page, and any applicable certifications will be listed there.
What is the optimal time to drink my Boxcar Coffee?
We find that 3-7 days off roast is the sweet spot for filter or french press brewing. If you are making espresso, you may want to wait until 5-7 days off roast, as obtaining a good extraction with espresso can be a little more difficult with fresh coffee.
What is the shelf life of my Boxcar Coffee?
We nitro flush each bag of coffee, which purges all of the oxygen from the bag prior to sealing it up and sending it on its way. This dramatically increases the shelf life of an unopened bag. That said, we suggest drinking your coffee as soon as possible after a short 3-5 day resting period. If you don’t happen to get to it right away, an unopened bag should still taste great 2 months after the roast date. Once the bag has been opened, you'll experience the best flavor if you finish it within 14 days.
How fresh is the coffee when I receive it?
That depends somewhat on how far you are from our Boulder roastery. That said, most shipments arrive in 1-5 business days. We roast and ship coffee M-F and never ship coffee that is more than 48 hours off the roast date.
Can you grind my coffee?
Yes! In the checkout process, please make note of the type of brewing method you'll need the coffee ground for.
How is the coffee packaged?
Your coffee will be packaged in a sealed valve bag, which has been flushed with nitrogen to prevent any oxygen from getting to your coffee.
What is the best coffee for cold brew?
In our opinion, there is no right or wrong coffee for cold brew and depends a lot on the flavor profile you are looking for. If you'd like more caramel and chocolate notes, we recommended one of our blends. If you're looking for more fruit notes or a crisp acidity, consider one of our single origins. We tend to love coffees from Africa for cold brew, as they often have lots of sweetness and fruit notes that we think work well as an iced coffee.
What kind of grinder should I use?
Always look for a burr grinder as opposed to a spice grinder with a single blade. A uniform grind is key to a good cup of coffee and it's difficult to achieve a consistent grind with a spice grinder. For the best flavor, you should grind your beans just before brewing.
Shipping
Are there delays due to COVID-19?
While we continue to operate on our regular schedule, COVID-19 has led to carrier delays and some delivery times may be 1-3 days longer than normal. We appreciate your patience and understanding during these unpredictable times.
What is the cost of shipping?
We provide 6.00 flat rate shipping for all orders under $50, and free shipping on orders over $50. Shipping for all subscriptions are $5, regardless of the amount of coffee you order. Because subscriptions are discounted, free shipping is not available on these purchases.
Which carrier will my order ship with?
In most cases, we ship via USPS, as they provide the most cost-effective small parcel home shipping service. On occasion, we will use UPS or FedEx for larger orders or for addresses that are not serviced by USPS. If your address is not serviced by a particular carrier, please leave a note in the comments section and we'll be sure to select the right one for your location.
When will my order ship?
We roast and ship orders Monday - Friday (excluding shipping holidays). Orders placed after 8am will be roasted and shipped on the next roast day. Occasionally, due to our production schedule and inventory levels, we may need one extra day to roast and ship your coffee. If we have to postpone your order more than one day, we will reach out to you directly.
How can I see where my shipment is at?
You will receive a shipping confirmation email once we have prepared your order and created a shipping label. In that email, you'll find tracking information for your order. The tracking number will be under the delivery heading, and by clicking that link, you'll be redirected to the carrier's tracking page. The tracking will show “pre shipment” until the carrier scans in the package after we drop it off.
I never received my coffee shipment.
Once your order has shipped, you will have received an automated email with your tracking number. That number should tell you where in the world your coffee is! Most orders should arrive within 1-3 business days, but could take up to 5 business days, especially during COVID-19. Please note that shipping times are calculated starting the day after your order is dropped off at the carrier. USPS does not guarantee delivery times, and therefore, we cannot offer refunds on late or delayed shipments. If your package doesn’t arrive in 7 business days, and/or appears to be lost, we will happily resend your order at no additional charge. If we are provided an incomplete or inaccurate address, we cannot assume responsibility for a late or lost package.
A delayed, missing, lost or stolen package can be a frustrating experience, so please don’t hesitate to contact us at 303-443-0652 or by email at online@boxcarcoffee.com and we will get back with you as soon as possible.
What do I do if my order arrives damaged?
It's our highest priority that you are happy with your purchase from us! Please send a photo of the damaged packaged to online@boxcarcoffee.com and we'll get back to you within one business day regarding next steps.
What do I do if I receive the incorrect order?
We all make mistakes and are always working to improve our systems to avoid these situations. Please contact us at online@boxcarcoffee.com and we'll get back to you within one business day with next steps. We appreciate your patience while we work to correct your order.
Do you ship internationally?
Currently, we ship to all 50 states and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Wake Island Atoll. We also ship to all APO US military addresses, regardless of the country you are stationed in. Shipping internationally is quite expensive and generally cost-prohibitive, but if you'd like to receive a quote on shipping to your country, please contact us at online@boxcarcoffee.com and we'd be happy to prepare that for you.
Subscriptions
What changes can I make to my subscription once I’m signed up?
You can change almost any aspect of your subscription once you're signed up. Need to change your payment method or shipping address? No problem. Want to increase the frequency of shipments? Sure thing! You can make those changes by logging into your acount and selecting "manage" on the left side under 'My Subscriptions.'
The only change you're not able make is switching from a single origin subscription to a blend subscription and vice versa. If you'd like to change the day your subscription ships out, please contact us at online@boxcarcoffee.com and we'd be happy to change it for you.
Can I buy a subscription as a gift?
Yes! During check out, you'll see an option to send the subscription as a gift. When this is enabled, you can choose a start and stop date for the subscription so you don't have to worry about remembering to cancel it at a later date.
What is the cost of shipping?
Shipping cost for subscriptions is $5, regardless of the size or frequency of your subscription. We generaly ship via USPS, but may occasionally use UPS or FedEx, if the rates are favorable.
When will my order be shipped?
We roast and ship Monday - Friday. Subscriptions purchased after 8am MST will ship on the next scheduled roast date. For example: A subscription purchased at 10am MST on Friday will ship on the following Monday. A subscription purchased at 7am MST on Tuesday will ship on Tuesday. Your ship date will be the same day of the week moving forward.
How can I track my order?
You will receive an email after your order ships with a tracking number and the carrier used to ship your order.
When will my card be charged?
Your card is charged the day you set up your subscription and your next charge is based on the frequency of your shipments. For example: a weekly subscription will be charged every 7 days and a bi-weekly subscription will be charged every 14 days.
What do I do if I receive the incorrect order?
We all make mistakes and are always working to improve our systems to avoid these situations. Please contact us at online@boxcarcoffee.com and we'll get back to you within one business day with next steps. We appreciate your patience while we work to correct your order.
Do you ship internationally?
Currently, we ship to all 50 states and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Wake Island Atoll. We also ship to all APO US military addresses, regardless of the country you are stationed in. Shipping internationally is quite expensive and generally cost-prohibitive, but if you'd like to receive a quote on shipping to your country, please contact us at online@boxcarcoffee.com and we'd be happy to prepare that for you.
Return Policy
COFFEE RETURNS
We want your experience with our coffee to lift you up! If the coffee you purchased is letting you down, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our highest priority is ensuring that you loved the coffee we sourced and roasted for you. Please contact us at 303-443-0652 or orders@boxcarcoffee.com to get started on your return.
OTHER RETURNS
We are happy to offer refunds or exchanges on merchandise (non-coffee) items that are returned to us in unused condition within 30 days of purchase date. Items purchased online must be returned to our roastery in Boulder, as we are unable to process online merchandise returns at our café locations. Return shipping cost is the responsibility of the purchaser and we cannot issue a refund or send an exchange until we have received your original purchased item at our roastery.
SUBSCRIPTION CANCELLATIONS
Payments for recurring subscriptions are processed when the order is placed. You will be automatically re-charged based on the frequency of the subscription you purchased, and your order will ship out on the next scheduled roast day.
If you wish to cancel your recurring subscription, you may do so at any time by logging into your subscription account and going to the customer login tab at the top of the page. Click 'Subscription Customer Login,' go to 'Manage Subscriptions,' and then 'Cancel Subscription,' located next to each item.
When you cancel your subscription, you'll be responsible for all charges incurred before the effective date of your cancellation. We cannot offer refunds on subscriptions orders that are already being prepared. If you need help canceling your subscription, you may also contact us at online@boxcarcoffee.com and we'd be happy to help!